Looking to capitalize on the popularity of gold investments in these tough economic times, TG-Gold-Super-Markt is installing vending machines that dispense 1g, 5g and 10g bars / gold coins at 500 locations in Germany.

A prototype "Gold-to-Go" machine in the Frankfurt Airport initially charged customers around $42 for a 1g wafer of gold and $341 for a 10g bar. The prices update every two minutes and average about 30% higher than market value for the cheapest product. So, given the premium price and extremely small quantity sizes, this really isn't much of an investment at all—more like a novelty or a unique gift idea. On the other hand, it does seem like a great target for thieves, although the company does monitor the devices with cameras and claims that the casing can withstand a dynamite blast. Still, a poor economy also means that thieves will go to greater lengths to pull off a job. [TG-Gold via Telegraph and Fox News]